Close only counts…

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

A few years ago I was sitting on the second row at church when a family came in and sat in front of me. There were four adults and one baby girl, and it looked as if the adults were the child’s parents, her grandmother, and her aunt.

They arrived about fifteen minutes late and left about fifteen minutes early, and for the short time that they were there, I watched in amazement as all four adults spent the entire time fussing over the baby.

baby girl

The Big Fuss began the moment that they sat down.  Mom handed Baby to Grandma so she could get something from the (Mary Poppins/false bottom/endless contents) Diaper Bag. First came the bottle, then the formula, then the matching burp rag and bib. Baby got passed down to Daddy who held her while Grandma got the bottle ready. Then Baby and bottle both got passed to Mommy who tried to feed her.

Baby was not interested.

Back went the bottle, the burp rag and the bib, and out came the pacifier. Mommy gave Baby to Auntie and began rummaging in the Diaper Bag, for Important Item. She dug and dug, searching for Important Item that she had to have Now. After pulling out everything from diapers to clothes to Baby’s first tricycle, Important Item was finally found.

A hair clip.

The Big Fuss continued for several more minutes with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Auntie all fiddling with Baby until Mommy unveiled the final item from the Diaper Bag: fingernail clippers. And then she proceeded to clip Baby’s fingernails right there on the front row. I was all set to lean down and say (in Christian love, of course), “Seriously? You can’t find a better time to trim your child’s fingernails?!” when they gathered up Baby and Diaper Bag and left.

I couldn’t help but wonder why the family even came to church in the first place that day. Of course I’ve been in church with my children before and I know how distracting it can be, but in this case, it was the adults who were being high maintenance! The little girl seemed more disturbed than comforted by The Big Fuss.

The adults were so close to hearing a word from God that day. They were in the right place at the right time with the right message being taught. They just chose to be distracted instead.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to be so close to Christ and still miss out on Him and His best for our lives. The Bible is full of people who were so close. Consider these familiar stories:

1. The Rich Young Ruler – He asked the right question to the right person and received the right answer. The problem was that he was rich and couldn’t imagine that life could be better without all of his stuff. He was so close to eternal life, but chose materialism instead. (Luke 18:18-23)

2. Ananias and Sapphira – At first, they appeared to be very generous, selling their land and giving the proceeds to the disciples. The problem was that they kept some of the money for themselves and lied about it. They were so close to generosity, but chose deceit instead. (Acts 5:1-10)

3. The Churches in Pergamum and Thyatira – They were loyal to Christ, faithful in service, and genuine in love. However, they allowed inaccurate teaching from false prophets like Jezebel and the Nicolaitans. They were so close to truth, but chose tolerance instead. (Revelation 2:12-29)

4.The Disciples – In the garden of Gethsemane, just before Judas betrayed Jesus, He asked them to pray for Him. The only problem was that they couldn’t stay awake.  They were so close to prayer, but chose sleep instead. (Matthew 26:36-46)

In Christianity, it’s our actions that matter, not our intentions, so being close doesn’t count.  Do you have good intentions? Are you close to obeying God? Consider how you can transform those intentions into actions and pray for clarity to know the difference.

I’ve often heard it said that “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” While I don’t know if that’s true or not, I do know that I don’t want to stand before our Lord one day and hear Him say, “My child, you were so close…”

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Scripture Art: Psalm 66:1-3

Posted on May 22, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Psalm 66_1_3

[Priority's FREE Scripture Art is just one of the ways we help you give God glory by giving His Word priority in your life.  Click it, print it and frame it, or Right Click to "save as" or set as your desktop background.]

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5-Word Prayers #4: Not my reason, but yours

Posted on May 21, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Have you ever asked God, “Why?”

Of course you have. In fact, if you’re like me, it’s probably one of your most frequent questions to Him. My first struggle with “Why?” came when I was ten years old and my mother died very unexpectedly. Obviously, I wanted to know why God would allow such a tragic thing to happen. I never received an outline from God explaining His sovereignty, but over the years, He’s given me glimpses of His Romans 8:28 purpose in my life and has shown me good that has come from it.

But even though I trust God and have seen Him prove Himself over and over again, things come up almost daily that still make me ask, “Why?”

In big things, like when my husband and I lost our son, Benjamin, in a second-trimester miscarriage, I asked, “Why?” But also in small things, like when we received an unexpected financial blessing only to learn that we’d have to spend it all on an unexpected expense, I still asked, “Why?”

And no matter how many times I ask, “Why?” I’ve found that I can’t predict God. His ways are higher than my ways, and His reasons are mysterious. So when the “why?” seems to paralyze me with a desire for answers, I’ve learned to pray this simple 5-word prayer:

“Not my reason, but Yours.”

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I think of Joseph and his brothers when I think of “Why?” Joseph’s story is so familiar; there is probably a piece of it that can resonate with all of us. His jealous brothers sold him into slavery, and decades later, he was in a position of authority to help them and all of Egypt through a famine.

No doubt Joseph asked, “Why?” before he had the benefit of hindsight, but God’s reasons for allowing the events to unfold as they did were not as they appeared on the surface.

God was not giving Joseph a problem, but a platform.

And God was not giving his brothers a profit, but a provision.

God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery now so that he could be in a position of authority later. Everything that looked like a problem on the surface was actually creating a platform that Joseph could use later.

And God did not allow Joseph’s brothers to sell him because He wanted them to be happy now, but because He wanted to provide for them later. When Joseph’s brothers expressed their desire to be closer to their father without Joseph stealing the limelight, God didn’t say yes because He was concerned for their father/son relationships; He said yes because He knew what the weather would be like twenty years later.

Not my reason, but Yours.

When you pray, “Not my reason, but Yours,” you acknowledge that:

  • God sees the future when all you see is the present
  • God can bring good things from bad situations
  • God might be meeting a future need early
  • Even when you don’t understand why, you will surrender to His judgment

Times will come when things appear as if they’re falling apart. Things don’t make sense and God seems to be ignoring your cries for help. Like when Moses was pushed into the Nile by his mother, or when Paul was imprisoned, or when Jesus was crucified.

You may lose your job, lose your husband, lose your home or lose your health, but when you pray, “Not my reason, but Yours,” you begin to see that today’s problems might actually be tomorrow’s platform.

Other times, you may receive something that appears to be an added bonus for today. An extra blessing. A bit more security. Like when Ananias and Sapphira received a good sum of money for selling their land. Had they prayed, “Not my reason, but Yours,” they would have seen that God was not giving them a blessing in order for them to profit now, but rather to be a provision for the church later.

Next time you get a tax refund or a Christmas bonus or a significant gain from the sell of some stock, don’t get frustrated if your car breaks down or your child needs surgery or the dishwasher breaks and you have to spend it all. Instead, praise God that He knew your need ahead of time and that He gave you the provision for it early.

God has a reason for everything He does. You may not understand. It may not make sense. And you might not always like it at the time. But rest assured that His reasons are divine. And when you know that you can thank Him for it in hindsight, it becomes easier for you to trust Him in the present.

signatureQ: What has you asking “Why?” today? When has God shown you His sovereignty through the benefit of hindsight?

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From lingerie model to role model

Posted on May 20, 2013 by | 2 Comments

In 2009, Kylie Bisutti won the Victoria’s Secret model search and was catapulted into a life that would easily be a dream-come-true for aspiring models everywhere. The lights. The runways. The photo shoots. The income. She was on top of the world and her future couldn’t be brighter.

But then Kylie began reading her Bible more and growing in her faith. She could see that she was easily becoming a sex symbol, and no longer felt comfortable putting her body on display. And so she did the unthinkable.

She walked away.

No one walks away from the opportunity to be a Victoria’s Secret model. But Kylie did. And the modeling world (and young women everywhere) are taking notice.

We think Kylie’s decision is an awesome example of becoming a biblically beautiful young woman. Click her photo to listen to an interview with her:

kylie bisuttiYou can also check out Kylie’s book, I’m No Angel: From Victoria’s Secret Model to Role Model.

Does Kylie’s story inspire you? Tell us what you think in the comments!

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Front Porch Friday: What To Do When You Fail God

Posted on May 17, 2013 by | 3 Comments

Front Porch Friday logoFailure. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world. But there is one thing worse: failing God. What do you do when you fail Him? Find out today on Front Porch Friday as Laurie and Mindy Ferguson conclude their series, Why Did I Say That? 5 Things You Should Never Tell God. See you on the porch!

Your sister,

Laurie-sig-300dpiIf you’ve enjoyed Mindy’s Front Porch Friday series like I have, post a comment and let her know. 

Get to know Mindy better. Visit her website, and check out her Bible studies!Fruitful Word logoMindy's Peter Bible Study

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When a blind date goes well – A Love Story (Part 2)

Posted on May 16, 2013 by | 1 Comment

[Click here to read Part 1]

As you may remember from Part 1 of my love story with Jason Ryan, I asked my parents to pray about introducing me to Jason for one solid month because I had no desire to be set up on a blind date. Only 20 days later, God changed my mind (just like they had prayed) when I saw Jason on stage at church on Easter Sunday. I decided I wouldn’t mind meeting him afterall.

But then, nothing happened.

Or at least, that’s how it felt on my end. On his end, he was experiencing all of the holy meddling that I had already received, only from his end, it may have been a little worse. Instead of coming from his parents, it was coming from his boss!

That’s right, once I gave the okay on to my mom, Sammie, she enlisted some others in her little scheme plan – Jason’s boss, Bill Cole (that’s right; Laurie’s husband), and their administrative assistant, Jan Hart. The two of them began encouraing Jason to contact me, and he was about as enthusiastic as I was in the beginning. He had no desire to be set up either, no matter how wonderful they made me sound. But finally, he agreed to email me just to get them off his back.

His message was short and sweet, and we agreed to meet the following weekend.  May 17, 2003, turned out to be a whirlwind day. I had my grand opening of my Mary Kay business that afternoon, and just hours later, opened the door of my apartment to see Jason Ryan for the first time (up close anyway). With a perfect mixture of sweet without being overly cheesy, he brought me a magnolia from a tree in his backyard.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Our first date was simple, but fun. We went to dinner at Macaroni Grill, then walked around the Galleria for awhile before going back to my apartment and eating dessert I had left over from my event that afternoon. I learned that my parents were right – we did have a lot in common. We grew up only about a mile away from each other, but had never met because of our age difference (only about five years, but eight years difference in school grades). We both loved musicals and our favorite vacation spot was New York City.

Looking back, I can’t help but laugh because I remember talking his ear off about what the Lord was teaching me through Jephthah’s daughter in Judges 11 – namely, how to be content being single! In retrospect, I probably wouldn’t advise anyone to talk about how much you’re enjoying the single life on a first date, but somehow it worked for us!

The date ended well, and we agreed to see each other again soon. It wasn’t love at first sight or anything, and I didn’t automatically know he was “the one.”

No, it took a whole ten days for me to figure that one out…

[To be continued...]

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5-Word Prayers #3: Not my day, but yours

Posted on May 14, 2013 by | 2 Comments

I felt so defeated.

I had just come home from the hospital after having our fourth child. Even with my husband home helping (a lot), I still remember feeling like I would never get out from under the needs of my children. At any given moment, one needed a drink, or help with homework, or food, or help getting dressed, or a diaper change, or nursing, or any number of other demands.  And all I wanted was one thing:

To go to the bathroom.

Alone.

That’s all. Just one simple request. But with everyone needing something and my body still recovering from my fourth C-section, I didn’t think I’d ever get the escape that I needed. At one point I remember thinking, “Seriously?! I can’t even go to the bathroom and somehow I’m supposed to find a way to have a meaningful quiet time during this season? There’s no way!”

And that’s when I discovered the need for, and the benefit of, this next 5-word prayer:

“Not my day, but Yours.”

day-not-my

I once read a book in which author Jerry B. Jenkins describes an interview he conducted with Billy Graham. He asked Graham how he got through those days when he wasn’t able to spend time with the Lord like he hoped.  Graham responded something along the lines of, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question.”

Ouch.

I used to think that if I failed to have a perfect quiet time first thing every single morning, then I couldn’t pray at all. In other words, if I wasn’t able or willing to have the dedication of Billy Graham, then I might as well give up.

But during this time, God reminded me of the psalms of King David and taught me the power of crying out to Him, especially when things were crazy. “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help” (Psalm 18:6 NIV).

For me, crying out to God in my distress meant wrapping all of my thoughts, all of my needs, and all of my praises of the day into five simple words. “Not my day, but Yours.”

When you pray, “Not my day, but Yours,” you acknowledge several things:

  • Today is God’s gift to you.
  • How you live today is your gift to God.
  • You’re thankful and blessed because of today.
  • You don’t know what the day holds, but God does.
  • No matter what the day holds, you will trust and rely on Him.

There are times when I wake up to the sounds of a baby crying or a loud crash from the kitchen or a little girl yelling, “Breakfast!!” from the top of the stairs. On those mornings, I can’t stop being a mom in order have a picture-perfect quiet time. So, rather than feeling defeated before the day even begins or resenting the very blessings that God Himself has given me, now I whisper a simple, five-word prayer in my heart to dedicate the day, and all of its craziness and chaos, to the Lord.

“Not my day, but Yours,” is not meant to be a loophole, but a bridge. In other words, when you whisper this in your heart, it’s not meant to be a magic formula that gets you out of your quiet times like a note from your mom gets you out of gym class. Rather it’s meant to bridge the gap, however large it may become, in between those precious times when you are able to spend dedicated time with the Lord.

You will experience the most spiritual growth from your one-on-one time with God, just like your friendships will grow deeper over face-to-face coffee dates. But for those times when it’s impossible to connect on that level, it’s still possible to touch base through a whisper.

“Not my day, but Yours.” It’s like your morning text message to God that lets Him know you’re thinking about Him, you miss Him, and you’re looking forward to talking with Him as soon as possible.

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Q: What do you whisper to God first thing in the morning?

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The Secret to Enjoying a Spoiled Rotten Mother’s Day

Posted on May 13, 2013 by | 1 Comment

Poor me, I thought. For the first time in my life, I wouldn’t be home with my kids and grandkids for Mother’s Day.

Poor me NOT!

4I just returned home from one of the very best Mother’s Day weekends of my entire life, and I have a secret to share with all of you mothers and others: Next year, spend your Mother’s Day away.

That’s exactly what Shanda and I did this past weekend as we traveled to Camp Harrison — a first-class, breathtakingly beautiful, YMCA camp – in the mountains of North Carolina for a Women’s Wellness Weekend Retreat where I spoke and where we and a group of other women were spoiled completely rotten. Take a look:

2Meet Trace, our chef for the weekend.

Yes, that’s right, chef. Who knew camp food and fine cuisine could be synonymous?

1As in freshly prepared individual quiche cups with hand-made crust and garden-picked herbs for breakfast. Yum!

And on Sunday morning, Trace and his staff prepared eggs benedict, sweet potato biscuits, a smorgasbord of other decadent choices, and . . .

12Mom-osas to drink (a yummy non-alcoholic concoction of orange juice and peach nectar garnished with strawberries). And see those cobalt blue cups? Joy of all Mother’s Day joys, they are filled with My Very Favorite Dessert of all time: panna cotta topped with sweet berries! Dessert for breakfast! Could there possibly be a more perfect spoiled-rotten Mother’s Day treat??!!!

1314Some moms came by themselves to the retreat. Others came with their moms and grandmoms. But several moms brought their precious daughters with them for the weekend (I enjoyed teaching all of them a mother-daughter version of Beauty by The Book).

Oh, and did I also mention they had a masseuse at camp? Yes, to God be the glory, a masseuse!

8Here’s Shanda (right) with Lisa Eller (left – Camp Harrison staff member and our new best friend), standing in front of the mountain-top massage tee-pee! What you cannot see is the massage therapist, Tina, inside that tee-pee with her perfectly blended lavender and rosemary aromatherapy oil, hot towels, and the Tempur-pedic massage table (oh, my goodness, the angels must have made this just for moms). With anointed hands blessed by God above, Tina spoiled women rotten all weekend long – including Shanda!

10The friendly female Camp Harrison staffers made all of us moms feel, well, almost as young as they were during our Mother’s Day Away. With their kind help, we zip-lined, canoed, hiked, biked, and some of us even Zumba-ed (which was probably less about fitness and more about building our appetites for the next chef-inspired meal).

7We even rode horses! Meet Ringo, my gentle, handsome steed.

6And these are the amazing Camp Harrison cowgirls who had the power to coax and encourage me to saddle-up and overcome my I’m-way-too-old-for-this inhibitions, and rediscover just how relaxing a horseback ride really can be.

With several cool, woodsy trails to choose from, Shanda and I chose one of the easier ones (we’re adventurous, but we enjoy our adventure as sweat-free as possible).

9We talked and laughed the entire hike (even though we did sweat a teensy bit). But what an accomplishment it was to make it to the top and take this selfie in front of the waterfall!

11That evening, we enjoyed a country-gospel-bluegrass concert at the scenic, open-air Billy & Ruth Graham Chapel. The group was great, and the mountain-top scenery was the icing on the Mother’s-Day-Away cake.

Alas, our Mother’s Day Away was over far too soon. We met so many wonderful moms, grandmoms, and girls. And we’re so grateful to Dave & Margie Purcell, Camp Directors at Camp Harrison, for inviting us to be part of such a glorious and memorable weekend.

But God had one more blessing in store for Shanda and me on our Mother’s Day Away weekend.

15Popcorn!!! We sniffed it out during our layover at the Chicago Midway Airport and quickly decided to let the spoiled-rotten treatment continue — even on the plane!

The secret to enjoying a spoiled rotten Mother’s Day? Mother’s Day Away.

Will you miss your kids and grandkids? Yes, you probably will. But do it anyway. Because there’s another secret to enjoying a spoiled rotten Mother’s Day: extend the spoiled rottenness.

Celebrate a two-weekends-in-a-row Mother’s Day. One weekend with the kids and grandkids. One weekend away. What more can I say except, “Hip hip hooray for Mother’s Day!”

Your spoiled rotten sister,

Laurie-sig-300dpi

 Did you enjoy a spoiled-rotten Mother’s Day? Tell me about it, OR share your favorite spoiled-rotten Mother’s Day ideas.  Love hearing from you!

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Front Porch Friday: 5th Thing You Should NEVER Tell God

Posted on May 10, 2013 by | 3 Comments

Front Porch Friday logoIt may be the worst thing anybody ever said about Jesus — and God heard every word. Have you said it, too? Discover what it is on today’s Front Porch Friday as Laurie and Mindy Ferguson continue their series, Why Did I Say That? 5 Things You Should Never Tell God.

Your sister,

Laurie-sig-300dpiMindy and I would love to hear from you. Post a comment and share your heart, your wisdom, your insights, and your prayer requests!

Get to know Mindy better. Visit her website, and check out her Bible studies!Fruitful Word logoMindy's Peter Bible Study

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Blessed(2) – One couple’s journey through infertility – Part 2

Posted on May 9, 2013 by | 1 Comment

[Read Part 1 of this true story here]

Part 2: The Impossible Surprise

Now that Chuck and Misty Williston had experienced the joy of adoption, they planned on waiting for their adoption tax refund and saving that money in order to adopt again in a few years. “We had it perfectly planned,” Chuck laughed. “At least we thought we did.”

Levi was four months old when Misty started feeling a little sick. She was sore and achy, and couldn’t pin point what was causing her to feel so drained. She thought it was ridiculous when Chuck suggested she take a pregnancy test, but did so just to appease him.

It was positive!

They both started crying, but “Chuck was the happy one, and I was the crazy, screaming, scared, nervous one,” Misty laughed. After all, they had already considered their prayer for a child as answered. They had a baby. They were completely happy and still basking in their blessing of Levi.

Now, not only was a second child on its way, but it was a pregnancy without any medical intervention, and it was due just after Levi’s first birthday. Two babies. Twelve months apart.

Willistons_24-b

Just when they had finally come to a place where they thought they understood why God had worked in their lives the way He did, He threw them another twist.

But it was a twist that they were more than happy to accept.

Kate Aliza Williston was born November 30, 2012, and in that moment, Chuck and Misty’s dreams of having four children became complete.  “God’s brought something really good out of this for our little blended family,” Misty said. Now that they have the two older kids from Chuck’s previous marriage, plus one adopted child, plus one naturally-conceived child, it made their family “a little weirder, but more tight. But it doesn’t feel blended anymore.”

The Source of Hope

Even though it happened to them, Chuck and Misty are careful not to make empty promises to others who are currently struggling with infertility. Pregnancy after infertility is very rare. “There’s a lot of guilt in having a baby when you’re in the world of infertility,” Misty said, “and I’ll always associate myself with that realm. I don’t understand why God does the things He does. I know that some people hold on to stories like ours, but the truth is that it doesn’t always turn out like our story does.”

So instead of sharing their story as an ultimate example of an ideal answer to prayer, the Willistons are quick to remind other couples of God’s individualized plans. “I tell them that I’m praying that God will work it out in their lives, not like our story, but like their story is supposed to be,” Misty said. “Just hang on, and don’t lose hope. But it’s a hope that God is going to do something. Something to ease the pain, something to fill the void. Something.” So put your hope and trust in God’s sovereignty, and not in a storybook ending.

“He’s going to come through in some way sooner or later.” In the meantime, Chuck says, “It’s okay to scream, yell, holler, question – the whole nine yards. God can take it.”

“Even when I was questioning Him, He was faithful,” said Misty. “I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, and I don’t think I did before, that God works things out in His timing and His way. Now I know, if we ever go through something again whether it’s seven years or twenty years, God’s doing it for a reason.

Willistons_02

And on those days when they’re juggling the crazy school schedules of the older two kids with the feeding schedules, diaper changes, and naps of a five-month old and a one-year-old, Misty still has to actively remind herself that God is not surprised by any of it. He had a plan. He had a reason. He had a timetable. “He knows what He’s doing, and I know now I’ll never doubt Him again,” she said. “So I feel blessed. Blessed beyond measure.”

To read more of Chuck and Misty’s story, you can visit her blog at www.chuckandmisty.blogspot.com.

[all images from Chelsea Davis Photography]

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Q: Have you gone through infertility? What have you learned? What would you say to someone who is going through it right now?

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